New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-03-13

looking ct q stage picture showing Q din - n
Heaven open and the Almighty on biz throne sand u
angels exercising their dread dominion To %,, -
such successfully enough to preserve soriorl
frame of mind in the observer would tax the ingsuuiy
of much greater stage machinst than WaeneN
And yet the scene would Do even less difficult. TO SN
seriously upon the stage than any Of the scenes
which make MP " Paradise Lost Here We have thru
acts in the great drama hose subject matter ocoune
Milton in tho composition OF his great epic, Act Z,
Satan's rebellion and overthrow Act I'll the creaton
in what Huxley would call not the Mosaic but tie
MIltonic order Act ILL., temptation fall and punisIS
ment OF our first parents with the laments PROMISE
and denuDcatlons OF the angels blended with the 10
umphant shouts of the devils as the grand Choir n
climax. Fancy stage pictures tor episodes like thesr
Evidently when Rubinstein denomnated "Paradiss'
Lost" opera he meant il to be taken in Pickwlet.
ian sense
The desire to make hat dramatic witch can o.Jy
in the nature OF the case be epca has led Rubntein
into some singular performances. We believe that
it contained oh angelic parsonage named Abdiel wLa
made all the procamaons which tall to the par,
OF The Voice." beginning each with the words And
God said" precisely like the parallel recltat!yes m
Haydns Creation" Rubinstoin himself cut ONT TIA
PREDATORY woIds and by that net made " Tie Voice ,
stand tor God Himself he result is that biz work IA
burdencd with a colOrless, m0nOtOnOus small -cahre
Deity. Deity who sings tenor and Is satisfied 80 be
introduced with a typical phrase composed OF hale +,
dozen diversions OF the common chord. More ,bsurd
still il the tact that while Rubinston prescribe.
specifically that the singer who takes tic part ~
The Voice" shall be invisible during the second nam
he does not say anything about II in the iI,s and
third, and last night the public were treated TO Tia
singular spectacle of singer whD uttered the ooris
OF Jehovah in dialogue with Adam, aud WAC he'd
kcIt himself ont OF sight during tie work Of CREATION
standing elbow to elbow with the representative oi
Adam. aud asking him in liquid tenor tones, Adam.
whore art thou Adam, why didst thou hide tiy.,f
And further addressing him N this astonishing En-
lsh: Adam, what vast thou did 2 Bat by this tin,
the public had probably cone to expect Itte iiom
Deity who created in his own image a and woman
who's. first obser ,ations were those which exrct
from coming out tfirf "A DIR. fso.
" " no am Where am l' and were beyond either
surprise OF disappointment. These are some Of the
amazingly foolish things in this Paradise Lost
which All hut prevent one nom listening seriously 10
a work which deals witt what must DE accepted -
one OF The OtIc-t or corcci able themes aud which
contains some though not many, excellent pieces ~
music They and Others which We have not time 20
point faults which grow ont o.tne Indifference
which Rubiu-icn has exhibited many time, a. 10 the
dramatic or literary value OF tie texts be Ia, cY.n
tor composition.
The bulk OF the good music in the score il IN tho
second par. and all of II. II We except pretty bIt
short instrumental movement with which be into
duccs tie third part. is written tor .he chorus. Iat
n dozen OF the choral numbers are elective
beautiful compositions notably the double chorus u
Angels and Rebels No. ,. and in the second part,
" Al ground the brd, starring Calmly
shining ard How il stirs how it moves" IN thr.s
numbers different steps the work OF creation arc
both celebrated aud depctcdwith real eloqu,aoc. aud
the operation 81 tie orchestra n the dolucaton Z,
as beautiful rs II obvious. But IN The SOLO parts
would bee difficult to find occasions Tor honest and
iltrlligeu praise. None was sufficiently ObyDl. 10
come to mind during tie haste incident 10 newspaper
writing
The Performance of the work was decidedly unequal
Two choru,eo were all bat VIC 'krd by Tire Impossible
tempo into which Nh Ihoma, carried tl. sIn-rr, 10
How 10 stir, ana the iu-uc which ends tH. second
part. Praise Ne tie Mighty Ol"." y lir.tea
set the netIonOmc marx hai.uoiD~ SIS o tNc minute.
Mr Thomas NE er got soWcr than lni Auiulfc-, nj
portions Of The fugle were much quicker Tie rr.db
that the singers c0uli Io' and d n1t keep tr.r
feet other choru-rs went much better. hDt tlla
Was none that really admirable NOT. Nr Io,It. IT.
Stollard iud lr Whitney excepted. Ueo ihr ,o0
els up 10 the requirements Of tlflr parts. LIS
Dut0u sang much better at tie Thomas Concert. List
NIGHT size and Miss Van /ufcu iua.l-l s0 p,f,.'.a.y
iu tAe vocal wo1n.c that there lD slDh tun-
pure harmony 90 any of The ulup. DOB which il, He
The orrLe-fra played eNcrlt. ft n'a4y .Rtr-. ut
f0r unaer0uutahlc reason Mr Thomas nti. Ir.' 70
the only pllc.y Instrumental number of Oh. vp'L
he iutrniul ou % tlc tu .f. b., designed fo l...ct
the temptation and in of A0lm aut
Eve 10 f. pretty PASTORAL movement
with midio Increment made Up 4
music WA.,A yllts- I.- fINus 1920 f- .- "A
the hl-t par whore -..I. l..- 800 FOO hsp
IN tie war AGAINST N.c an.t fu Doc created
This middle par 1lr Ih0ra, oafDL 80 sin .. r'' -r5
into Ldrn as il' lll t.r punishment n,trl 'l' >
Miss Van Lnuteu tut 3d. -t'it.ll u .et .-,.-.iS
alactc, WIS ulA--rrtr..